Introducing...Shannon Cappelletti!
Profile on her

This is a profile of Shannon. I'll be putting it in lobby news, but it's too long to include there, so as usual, linking to here. It's a semi-interview.
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My mom has always loved bridge and is a really good player. I caddied until I was about 18. As the child of avid bridge players, I was frequently overheard pouting "I am never going to play bridge."

About 15 years ago, I started playing in college and enrolled in a series of lessons at the club nearby in Chattanooga. I was lucky enough to have some people in the class that were my age and we immediately bonded & started playing together. My mother was instrumental in teaching me individually and my group collectively.

When a friend and I were playing at a Regional in Gatlingburg, TN (0-5 Swiss Team event), I met Mike Cappelletti, Jr. He & I started dating &
eventually became partners, both at & away from the bridge table. I won my
first national title with Mike, the Mixed Pairs in Vancouver in 1999.

When I am not playing professionally at National & Regionals throughout the
year, I have students that I give private lessons to or play with. I really enjoy all facets of bridge, both the teaching and the playing. It is so fulfilling when you are teaching someone who finally "gets it" , i.e.
counting out a hand, deducing from bids the opponents did (or did not) make, who might have the missing high-card strength, etc.

The Cappellettis are a well known bridge family, and I was lucky to be included in the family. They are also known for poker. I have tried poker, but laugh too much when I get a good hand.

I have enjoyed my bridge career immensely, but it is most important to have
fun. We seem to forget that this is still a game. The secret is not to take yourself too seriously, and realize that it's a partnership game. Despite what we may think at the time, our partners are really there to help us.

Being a youngish female in the bridge world is an interesting experience. When you see someone come to the table who is under the age of 40, you tend to think "inexperienced." So I get a lot of people thinking I am just some girl. Especially when I play with my women's partner, 23 year-old Jenny Wolpert - then we pounce. It is also a disadvantage being a woman in the bridge world, as the majority of top players are men. So you play the hand you are dealt and make the most of it.

Bridge is such a great and exciting game, since you can play against the best in the world and sometimes beat them. There are very few sports that you can play against a world champion, like Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan, and not lose every time.

"More and more these days I find myself pondering how to reconcile my net income with my gross habits."